Blogos

#PhantomThread

A crow wouldn’t even need to flap a mile to fly between the childhood homes of two luminary thesps: Hatcham Park Road in New Cross Gate whence Gary Oldman honed his observations and Crooms Hill, on the edge of Greenwich Park which became home for the two-year old Dan Day-Lewis.

Two men of similar age, whose routes to Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre began around the same curve of the Thames and went off-piste thereafter, both recognized by their peers. That same crow would have 5450 miles to cover in staggering between those beginnings and this evening’s Hollywood Boulevard destination.

G Oldman Esq and Sir Daniel Day-Lewis receiving their, respectively, first and last nominations for Actor in a Leading Role from AMPAS. That’s a fine symmetry.

In this, not winning doesn’t mean losing. In this, being nominated acknowledges achievement of endeavour.

Muscles developed to overcome inevitable rejection amid learning the craft as young actors must be drawn upon by 80 per cent of nominees on Oscar night. It is a brutally public process.

When Anthony Minghella clutched his Best Picture Oscar in 1997 for The English Patient, he declared it a proud moment for the Isle of Wight. Of the small world which has long-divorced couple Lesley Manville OBE and Oldman both nominated, one might say it’s proud moments for South East London and East Grinstead. [This is posted amid pre-prandial slurps at lunchtime.]

Footnote: OK, here’s the thing. We weren’t quite able to find an attractive picture capturing both Hatcham Park Road and Crooms Hill. The first lies just south of the left corner while the latter is on the west side of Greenwich Park sitting like a green bottle on the right of the frame. Accuracy Schmaccuracy.